Editing Kevin Shields

{{Short description|Irish musician (born 1963)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background        = solo_singer
| name              = Kevin Shields
| image             = File:Kevinshields public.jpg
| landscape         = no
| caption           = Shields performing at [[Coachella Festival]] in 2009
| birth_name        = Kevin Patrick Shields
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|05|21}}
| birth_place       = [[Queens]], New York City, U.S.
| origin            = Dublin, Ireland
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Shoegaze]]|[[dream pop]]|[[noise rock]]|[[Ambient music|ambient]]|[[experimental rock]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Musician|singer|songwriter|record producer}}
| instrument        = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|bass|keyboard}}
| years_active      = 1979–present
| label             = {{hlist|[[Creation Records|Creation]]|[[Island Records|Island]]|[[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony]]|PASK|Pickpocket|mbv|Domino}}
| current_member_of = [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]]
| past_member_of    = [[Primal Scream]]
}}
'''Kevin Patrick Shields''' (born 21 May 1963) is an Irish musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the [[alternative rock]] band [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]]. Their studio albums ''[[Isn't Anything]]'' (1988) and ''[[Loveless (My Bloody Valentine album)|Loveless]]'' (1991) established Shields as a pioneering figure in the [[shoegaze]] genre.<ref name="shz">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/shoegaze-ma0000004454|title=Shoegaze &#124; Significant Albums, Artists and Songs|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide|All Media Network]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> His texturised guitar sound and his experimentation with his guitars' [[Vibrato systems for guitar|tremolo systems]] resulted in the creation of the "[[glide guitar]]" technique, which became a recognisable aspect of My Bloody Valentine's sound, along with his meticulous production techniques.<ref>{{cite news|last1=DeRogatis |first1=Jim |author-link=Jim DeRogatis |url=http://www.jimdero.com/News2001/GreatDec2MBV.htm |title=A love letter to guitar |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]  |date=2 December 2001 |access-date=10 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306143744/http://www.jimdero.com/News2001/GreatDec2MBV.htm |archive-date=6 March 2015 }}</ref>

Following My Bloody Valentine's dissolution in the late 1990s, Shields became a frequent guest musician, producer, [[Audio engineering|engineer]], and [[remix]]er with various bands and artists, including [[Experimental Audio Research]], [[Yo La Tengo]], [[Dinosaur Jr]], and [[Mogwai]]. In 1998 he became a touring member of [[Primal Scream]]. Shields contributed several original compositions to the [[Lost in Translation (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] of [[Sofia Coppola]]{{'}}s 2003 film ''[[Lost in Translation (film)|Lost in Translation]]'', which earned him nominations for the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] (BAFTA) and [[Irish Film and Television Awards|Irish Film and Television Academy]] (IFTA) awards.<ref name="bafta">{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2004/film/anthony-asquith-award-for-achievement-in-film-music|title=Film &#124; Anthony Asquith Award for Original Film Music in 2004|work=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="ifta">{{cite web|url=http://www.ifta.ie/winners/iftawinners2004.html|title=Winners 2004 &#124; IFTA|work=[[Irish Film and Television Awards]]|publisher=Irish Film and Television Academy|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> In 2008, Shields released a collaborative live album together with [[Patti Smith]] entitled ''[[The Coral Sea (album)|The Coral Sea]]''.

My Bloody Valentine reunited in 2007; the band released their third studio album, ''[[m b v (album)|m b v]],'' in February 2013. The album was composed entirely by Shields and had been in production since the late 1990s, when Shields was rumoured to have been suffering from [[writer's block]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.ie/archive/2718101.html|title=Shields spills all about My Bloody Valentine split|work=[[Hot Press]]|publisher=Osnovina|date=22 March 2004|access-date=10 November 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref name="gdn">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/12/2|title=I lost it &#124; Music|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Lester|first=Paul|author-link=Paul Lester|date=12 March 2004|access-date=24 April 2007}}</ref> Shields has since been featured in several publications' best-of-lists, including ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'s}} 100 Greatest Guitarists and ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''{{'}}s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.<ref name="rollings">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231/kevin-shields-20101202|title=100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks – Kevin Shields|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|last=Fricke|first=David|author-link=David Fricke|access-date=10 November 2013|date=3 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="spin">{{cite web |last=Kandell |first=Steve |date=3 May 2013 |title=100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time &#124; Best of SPIN |url=https://www.spin.com/2012/05/greatest-guitarists-all-time/9/ |access-date=6 October 2022 |work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]}}</ref> Multiple musicians have also cited him as an influence, including [[Billy Corgan]] and [[J Mascis]].

==Early life==
Kevin Patrick Shields was born on 21 May 1963&nbsp;in Jamaica Hospital in [[Queens]], New York City, United States.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Guglielmi|first1=Federico|title=Grande Enciclopedia Rock|year=2002|publisher=Giunti Editore|isbn=978-88-09-02852-4|page=563}}</ref><ref name="bv">{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/10/an_interview_wi_86.html|title=An interview with Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine|publisher=[[BrooklynVegan]]|last=Pearis|first=Bill|date=29 October 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> He is the eldest of five siblings born to Irish parents; his mother was a nurse and his father was an executive in the food industry. Shields' parents had emigrated from Ireland to the United States in the 1950s, when the couple were teenagers. Shields attended Christ the King, a [[Roman Catholic]] primary school which he described as "a really horrible school run by psychopathic nuns".<ref name="bh">{{cite interview|last=North |first=Aaron |title=Kevin Shields: The Buddyhead Interview |work=[[Buddyhead Records|Buddyhead]] |url=http://www.buddyhead.com/music/kevinshields/ |location=New York City |date=19 January 2005 |access-date=30 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050408040110/http://www.buddyhead.com/music/kevinshields/ |archive-date=8 April 2005 }}</ref> They lived in [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]], a neighbourhood in north-central Queens,<ref name="bv" /> relocating to [[Commack, New York|Commack]], [[Long Island]], when Shields was four, where he lived until the age of ten.<ref name="sf">{{cite interview|last=Shields|first=Kevin|interviewer=[[Ian Svenonius]]|title=Soft Focus: Kevin Shields|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/kevin-shields/|work=Soft Focus|publisher=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|location=London|date=10 December 2007|access-date=10 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110013718/http://www.vice.com/en_uk/soft-focus/kevin-shields|archive-date=10 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1973, Shields moved to [[Dublin]], Ireland, with his parents and siblings due to financial conditions and in order to remain close to their extended family.<ref name="bh" />

Shields was raised in [[Cabinteely]], a suburb in Dublin's [[Southside, Dublin|Southside]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/interviews/Valentine-Days/416413.html|title=Valentines Day &#124; Music &#124; Interviews|work=[[Hot Press]]|publisher=Osnovina|last=Mulkearns|first=Helena|date=10 August 1989|access-date=10 November 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref> He has described the experience of moving to Ireland as a [[culture shock]], "going from, as far as I was concerned, the modern world to some distant past."<ref name="c4">{{cite interview|last=Shields|first=Kevin|interviewer=[[Paul Lester]]|title=Kevin Shields interview|work=Transmission|publisher=[[Channel 4]]|location=London|year=1990}}</ref> According to Shields, the main difference between the US and Ireland that affected him was the attitude towards music culture: "[in the US] there was no ''[[Top of the Pops]]'', there was nothing like that, there was no [[MTV]]; and over in [Ireland], everything was completely catered to for teenagers." He said that the change was "what got [him] into music in a really big way."<ref name="c4" />

==Music career==

===1979–1982: Early projects===
Shields received his first electric guitar, a [[Hondo (guitar company)|Hondo SG]], as a Christmas present from his parents in 1979.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Bonner|first=Michael|title=An Audience with&nbsp;... Kevin Shields|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|issue=January 2014|page=14}}</ref><ref name="amag">{{cite web|url=http://arthurmag.com/2011/03/10/perfect-sound-forever-kevin-shields-of-my-bloody-valentine-interviewed-by-hua-hsu-arthur-no-7nov-2003|title=Perfect Sound Forever: Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine|work=[[Arthur (magazine)|Arthur]]|publisher=Floating World Comics|last=Hsu|first=Hua|date=November 2003|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> Shields befriended drummer [[Colm Ó Cíosóig]] in south Dublin during the summer of 1978, and together they answered an advertisement placed by a 12-year-old musician to form [[punk rock]] band [[The Complex (band)|The Complex]].<ref name="britton">{{cite book|last1=Britton|first1=Amy|title=Revolution Rock: The Albums Which Defined Two Ages|year=2011|publisher=[[AuthorHouse]]|isbn=978-1-4678-8710-6|page=134}}</ref><ref name="ss">{{cite magazine|last1=Brown|first1=Nick|date=February 1991|title=My Bloody Valentine|magazine=Spiral Scratch}}</ref> Ó Cíosóig's schoolfriend [[Liam Ó Maonlaí]] from [[Coláiste Eoin]] in [[Booterstown]] was recruited as lead vocalist, and the band began rehearsing.<ref name="murphy">{{cite magazine|last=Murphy|first=Peter|date=May 2004|title=Lost in Transmution|magazine=[[Hot Press]]|publisher=Osnovina|url=http://www.hotpress.com/archive/2719699.html|access-date=10 November 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Shields later said that The Complex had formed out of "what all the nerds and weirdos actually do as opposed to the cool people with the leather jackets," who were forming fictional groups around Dublin in the late 1970s.<ref name="atlast">{{cite interview|last=Shields|first=Kevin|title=The Lost Albums: ''Loveless''|work=@LastTV|publisher=[[RTÉ Two]]|location=[[Dublin]]|date=November 2000}}</ref> According to Shields, the band played "a handful of gigs" during their short-lived career, the first of which included covers of songs by the [[Sex Pistols]] and [[Ramones]].<ref name="bh" />

The Complex disbanded when Ó Maonlaí left to form [[Hothouse Flowers]], and Shields and Ó Cíosóig began rehearsing with another bassist. In 1981, the trio formed A Life in the Day, a band that focused on a more [[post-punk]] sound influenced by [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]] and [[Joy Division]].<ref name="bh" /> The band recorded a demo tape, which features Shields' first experimentation with [[Portamento|pitch bending]], and performed at local venues to crowds of no more than a hundred people.<ref name="bh" /><ref name="p4k2013">{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/9192-kevin-shields|title=Interviews: Kevin Shields &#124; Features|work=[[Pitchfork Media]]|last=Dombal|first=Ryan|date=9 August 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

===1983–1997: My Bloody Valentine===
{{Main|My Bloody Valentine (band)}}
A Life in the Day disbanded in 1981, and Shields and Ó Cíosóig went on to form [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]] in early 1983 with lead vocalist [[David Conway (author)|David Conway]]. Conway suggested a number of potential band names (including The Burning Peacocks) before the trio settled for [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]].{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=21}} Shields has since claimed that he was unaware at the time that My Bloody Valentine was the title of a [[My Bloody Valentine (film)|1981 Canadian slasher film]].<ref name="sf" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://coolbeans.com/cb7/mbv.htm|title=Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine: Interview|publisher=[[AOL]]|date=7 February 1997|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

On Shields's suggestion, Conway contacted [[Gavin Friday]], lead vocalist of the Dublin post-punk band, the [[Virgin Prunes]]. Friday's contacts secured them a show in [[Tilburg]], Netherlands, in early 1984,<ref name="atlast" /> and the band relocated to the Netherlands. They lived there for a further nine months, [[squatting]] in Amsterdam and later in a more rural area, where Shields worked on a farm.<ref name="ss" /> Due to a lack of opportunities and correct documentation, the band relocated to [[West Berlin]], Germany, in late 1984 and recorded their debut mini album, ''[[This Is Your Bloody Valentine]]'' (1985).<ref name="britton" /> The album, which features Shields on bass, failed to receive much attention, and the band returned temporarily to the Netherlands before settling in London in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/my-bloody-valentine-mn0000937003/biography|title=My Bloody Valentine &#124; Biography|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide|All Media Network]]|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Kevin Shields.jpg|left|thumb|alt=A man performing on-stage with an acoustic guitar.|Shields performing at [[Riverside (music venue)|Riverside]] in [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], England in 1989]]
The band recruited bassist [[Debbie Googe]] and released their debut [[extended play]] ''[[Geek!]]'' in December 1985. The EP received little attention, and due to the band's slow progress Shields contemplated relocating to New York, where members of his family were living. The band's two successive releases, ''[[The New Record by My Bloody Valentine]]'' (1986) and "[[Sunny Sundae Smile]]" (1987), brought minor success, peaking at number 22 and number 6 respectively on the [[UK Indie Chart|UK Independent Albums Chart]] and Singles Chart.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lazell|first1=Barry|title=Indie Hits: 1980–1989: The Complete Guide to UK Independent Charts (Singles & Albums)|year=1997|publisher=[[Cherry Red Records|Cherry Red]]|location=London|isbn=0-9517206-9-4|page=155}}</ref> During a supporting tour in March 1987, David Conway announced his decision to leave the band due to his gastric illness, disillusionment with music and ambitions to become a writer.{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=24}} Conway was replaced by vocalist and guitarist [[Bilinda Butcher]], with whom Shields split (and often shared) vocal duties. Shields was initially reluctant to take on a vocal role within the band, but said that he had "always sung in the rehearsal room... and made up the melodies."<ref name="c42">{{cite interview|last1=Ó Cíosóig|first1=Colm|subject-link1=Colm Ó Cíosóig|last2=Shields|first2=Kevin|interviewer=Rachael Davis|work=Transmission |title= Interview |publisher=[[Channel 4]]|year=1988}}</ref> With the new line up in place, the band intended to drop the My Bloody Valentine moniker, but were unable to decide on a replacement and so kept the name "for better or for worse".<ref name="c42" />

A series of successful releases followed including three-track single "[[Strawberry Wine (My Bloody Valentine song)|Strawberry Wine]]" and the band's second mini album ''[[Ecstasy (My Bloody Valentine album)|Ecstasy]]'' (1987), both featuring Shields on lead vocal duties. Whilst touring in support of ''Ecstasy'', My Bloody Valentine signed to [[Creation Records]], who described the band as "the Irish equivalent to [[Hüsker Dü]]".{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=26–27}} The band's first release for Creation was the EP ''[[You Made Me Realise]]'' (1988), followed by the band's hugely influential debut studio album ''[[Isn't Anything]]'' (1988),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000946959|title=<nowiki>You Made Me Realise [Creation</nowiki>&#93; – My Bloody Valentine: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide|All Media Network]]|last=Abebe|first=Nitsuh|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> which is regarded as having "virtually created" the [[shoegaze]] genre,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/isnt-anything-mw0000653280|title=Isn't Anything – My Bloody Valentine: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide|All Media Network]]|last=Phares|first=Heather|access-date=2 April 2014}}</ref> establishing the template which a number of bands would work off.<ref name="shz" />

My Bloody Valentine commenced the recording sessions for their second album in February 1989. Creation Records had believed that the album could be recorded in five days, but several unproductive months followed during which Shields took control of the musical and technical aspects of the sessions.{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=43}} Shields relocated to a total of 19 other studios and hired a number of [[Audio engineering|engineers]], including [[Alan Moulder]], Anjali Dutt and Guy Fixsen. As the recording was taking so long, Shields and Creation agreed to release two interim EPs, ''[[Glider (EP)|Glider]]'' (1990) and ''[[Tremolo (EP)|Tremolo]]'' (1991).{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=44}} The ''[[Loveless (My Bloody Valentine album)|Loveless]]'' album was eventually released in November 1991, and was rumoured to have cost over £250,000 and to have bankrupted Creation (claims which Shields has denied).{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=66–67}} Critical reception to ''Loveless'' was almost unanimous with praise, although the album was not a commercial success,{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=97}} peaking at number 24 on the [[UK Albums Chart]] but failing to chart internationally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/my%20bloody%20valentine|title=My Bloody Valentine &#124; Artist|work=[[Official Charts Company]]|publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> Creation Records founder [[Alan McGee]] dropped My Bloody Valentine from the label soon after the release of ''Loveless'', due to the album's excessive recording time and interpersonal problems with Shields.<ref name="gdn" />

In October 1992, My Bloody Valentine signed to [[Island Records]] for a reported £250,000.<ref name="uc">{{cite magazine|last1=Stubbs|first1=David|author-link=David Stubbs|year=1999|title=Sweetheart Attack: My Bloody Valentine's ''Isn't Anything'' is ''the'' Eighties Rock Album|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|issue=February 1999}}</ref> The band's advance went towards the construction of a home studio in [[Streatham]], [[South London]], which was completed in April 1993. Several technical problems with the studio sent the band into "semi-meltdown", according to Shields,{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=101-102}} who was rumoured to have been suffering from [[writer's block]].<ref name="td">{{cite web|url=http://totallydublin.ie/music/music-features/butchers-block|title=TD Archive: My Bloody Valentine's Bilinda Butcher Interviewed|work=[[Totally Dublin]]|publisher=Totally Partner|last=Johannesson|first=Ika|date=3 September 2008|access-date=10 November 2013|archive-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503040644/http://totallydublin.ie/music/music-features/butchers-block|url-status=dead}}</ref> Googe and Ó Cíosóig left the band in 1995, whilst Shields and Butcher attempted to record a third studio album; Shields had said that this would be released in 1998, but My Bloody Valentine disbanded in 1997.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Shields|first1=Kevin|title=About Bloody Time Too!|magazine=[[NME]]|date=July 1997}}</ref> Unable to finalise a third album, Shields isolated himself, and in his own words "went crazy", drawing comparisons in the music press to the eccentric behaviour of musicians like [[Brian Wilson]] of [[the Beach Boys]] and [[Syd Barrett]] of [[Pink Floyd]].<ref name="gdn" />

Rumours spread amongst fans that several albums worth of material had been recorded and shelved prior to the band's break up. In 1999, it was reported that Shields had delivered 60 hours of material to Island Records, and Butcher confirmed that there existed "probably enough songs to fill two albums."<ref name="uc" /><ref name="td" /> Shields later admitted that at least one full album of "half-finished" material was abandoned, stating "it was dead. It hadn't got that spirit, that life in it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kuci.uci.edu/~kuci/text/interviews/mbv.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20100912030457/http://www.kuci.uci.edu/~kuci/text/interviews/mbv.html|title=My Bloody Valentine interview|work=[[KUCI]]|publisher=[[University of California]]|last=Raggett|first=Ned|archive-date=12 September 2010|access-date=23 August 2007}}</ref>

===1997–2006: Collaborations and ''Lost in Translation''===
Following My Bloody Valentine's disbandment, Shields embarked on a number of collaborations with other artists, both as a guest musician and producing, [[Audio engineering|engineering]], [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] and [[remixing]] other acts. Shields contributed guitar [[Loop (music)|loop]]s to two [[EAR (band)|Experimental Audio Research]] albums: 1996's ''Beyond the Pale'' (which was recorded at Shields' home studio in Streatham and credits him with "special thanks" on the album sleeve)<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Beyond the Pale|others=[[EAR (band)|Experimental Audio Research]]|year=1996|type=Liner notes|publisher=[[Big Cat Records]]|id=ABB96CD}}</ref> and 1997's ''The Köner Experiment''. He was a frequent collaborator with [[indie rock]] band [[Dinosaur Jr]], appearing on and producing ''[[Hand It Over]]'' (1997) and ''Ear-Bleeding Country: The Best of Dinosaur Jr.'' (2001), as well as frontman [[J Mascis]]{{'}} ''[[More Light (J Mascis + The Fog album)|More Light]]'' (2000) and ''The John Peel Sessions'' (2003). Shields has lent his services as a guest musician to releases by [[Russell Mills (artist)|Russell Mills & Undark]], [[DJ Spooky]], [[Curve (band)|Curve]], [[Manic Street Preachers]], [[Le Volume Courbe]], [[Gemma Hayes]] and [[Paul Weller]].<ref name="cred">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/kevin-shields-mn0000085275|title=Kevin Shields – Credits|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide|All Media Network]]|access-date=28 June 2013}}</ref> In a live capacity, Shields has performed with the Canadian contemporary dance company [[La La La Human Steps]] (contributing the song "2" to the 1995 performance of the same name),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lalalahumansteps.com/new|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408021247/http://www.lalalahumansteps.com/new/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=8 April 2010|title=La La La Human Steps|publisher=[[La La La Human Steps]]|access-date=10 November 2013}} N.B. User must select "Eng." and "Works", click and expand "Archives", select "2 (1995)" and click "Description".</ref> Gemma Hayes, [[The Charlatans (English band)|The Charlatans]] and [[Spacemen 3]] (appearing at their 2010 reunion show).<ref name="am3">{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/39701-video-spacemen-3-reunite-without-jason-pierce-with-kevin-shields|title=Video: Spacemen 3 Reunite Without Jason Pierce, With Kevin Shields &#124; News|work=[[Pitchfork Media]]|last=Breihan|first=Tom|date=9 August 2010|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

[[File:The Charlatans play acoustic at the Union Chapel.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|alt=Three men performing in a renovate chapel. The man on the left plays an acoustic guitar, the man in the middle sings and the man on the right plays an acoustic bass guitar.|Shields (''left'') performing as a guest with [[The Charlatans (English band)|The Charlatans]] in London, England in January 2011]]
Shields has also remained active as a producer outside of My Bloody Valentine: his first credits were The Impossible's 1991&nbsp;single "How Do You Do It?"; and "Tunnel", a track from [[GOD (British band)|GOD]]{{'}}s remix album ''[[Appeal to Human Greed]]'' (1995).<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=''"How Do You Do It?"''|others=The Impossibles|year=1991|type=12"|publisher=[[Fontana Records]]|id=POSS 122}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/appeal-to-human-greed-mw0000179777/credits|title=Appeal to Human Greed – God: Credits|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide|All Media Network]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> He also produced [[Dot Allison]]{{'}}s ''Afterglow'' (1997), [[Joy Zipper]]{{'}}s ''[[American Whip]]'' (2003) and The Beat Up's ''Blackrays Defence'' (2005). Shields has also mixed and remixed material by [[The Pastels]], [[Yo La Tengo]], [[Damian O'Neill]], [[Mogwai]], [[Hurricane No. 1|Hurricane #1]], [[The Go! Team]], [[Bow Wow Wow]] and [[Wounded Knees]].<ref name="cred" />

Between 1998 and 2006, Shields became a frequent collaborator and semi-permanent touring member of [[Primal Scream]]. He contributed guitar, produced and mixed tracks on two of the band's studio albums: ''[[XTRMNTR]]'' (2000), and ''[[Evil Heat]]'' (2002). Primal Scream frontman [[Bobby Gillespie]] has said that "[Shields] brings something that nobody else in the world can bring. He plays guitar the way that nobody else in the world plays guitar," adding that Primal Scream considered Shields to be "part of the family, very much so."<ref name="z2">{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/10/primal-scream-bobby-gillespie-interview-more-light-kevin-shields-andy-weatherall-touring-sober.html|title=Primal Scream: Bobby Gillespie talks More Light, Kevin Shields, Andy Weatherall and touring while sober|work=[[Zap2it]]|date=11 October 2013|access-date=10 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128193813/http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/10/primal-scream-bobby-gillespie-interview-more-light-kevin-shields-andy-weatherall-touring-sober.html|archive-date=28 November 2013}}</ref> Shields has remained close to the band following his departure in 2006, remastering Primal Scream's third studio album ''[[Screamadelica]]'' (1991) in 2010 and contributing guitar to "2013", the lead single from ''[[More Light (Primal Scream album)|More Light]]'' (2013).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/primal-scream/53895|title=Primal Scream releases Screamadelica remastered by Kevin Shields &#124; News|work=[[NME]]|date=23 November 2010|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://consequence.net/2013/02/listen-to-primal-screams-new-song-2013-featuring-kevin-shields|title=Listen to Primal Scream's new song "2013", featuring Kevin Shields|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|last=Young|first=Alex|date=18 February 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> Gillespie has since commented on Shields' absence, noting that "there's always room for Kevin Shields—always."<ref name="z2" />

[[File:My Bloody Valentine-15.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A black-and-white-image of a man performing on-stage with an electric guitar and singing into a microphone.|Shields performing at [[The Roundhouse]] in London in June 2008]]
In 2003, Shields contributed four original compositions to the [[Lost in Translation (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] for [[Sofia Coppola]]'s 2003&nbsp;film, ''[[Lost in Translation (film)|Lost in Translation]]''. Shields became involved with the score after being contacted by the film's music co-ordinator [[Brian Reitzell]] while in Tokyo, Japan. During summer 2002, Reitzell and Shields began impromptu [[jam session]]s in London where the duo "adopted a late-night recording schedule," resulting in the single "[[City Girl (song)|City Girl]]."<ref name="rs">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kevin-shields-found-on-lost-20030924|title=Kevin Shields Found on Lost &#124; Music News|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|last=Dansby|first=Andrew|date=24 September 2003|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> Released in August 2003&nbsp;on [[V2 Records]], the ''Lost in Translation'' soundtrack included three other [[Ambient music|ambient]] pieces which Shields had composed for the film: "Goodbye," "Ikebana," and "Are You Awake?".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-in-translation-mw0000316244|title=Lost in Translation: Original Soundtrack – Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide|All Media Network]]|last=Phares|first=Heather|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> His contributions to the soundtrack earned Shields nominations for a [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] (BAFTA) award for [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music|Best Film Music]], an [[Irish Film and Television Awards|Irish Film and Television Academy]] (IFTA) award for Best Music in a Film, and an [[Online Film Critics Society]] award for Best Original Score.<ref name="bafta" /><ref name="ifta" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ofcs.org/awards/2003-awards-7th-annual|title=2003 Awards (7th Annual)|publisher=[[Online Film Critics Society]]|access-date=10 November 2013|date=3 January 2012}}</ref>

In July 2008, Shields collaborated with the American musician [[Patti Smith]] to release the live album ''[[The Coral Sea (album)|The Coral Sea]]'' on the PASK label (which the duo had also founded together). The [[double album]] features two performances at [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]] in London, recorded on 22 June 2005&nbsp;and 12 September 2006, wherein Smith reads the book [[The Coral Sea (book)|of the name same]] (which she wrote in tribute to her friend, the photographer [[Robert Mapplethorpe]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045757/patti-smithkevin-shields-live-album-due-in-july|title=Patti Smith/Kevin Shields Live Album Due in July|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=24 April 2008|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> over Shields' instrumental accompaniment.

===2007–present: My Bloody Valentine reunion===
In August 2007, reports emerged that My Bloody Valentine would reunite for the 2008&nbsp;[[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]] in [[Indio, California|Indio]], California, United States;<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1049671/report-my-bloody-valentine-mulling-coachella-reunion|title=Report: My Bloody Valentine Mulling Coachella Reunion|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=27 August 2007|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> this was later confirmed by Shields, along with the announcement that the band's third studio album (which he had begun recording in 1996) was near completion.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1047383/shields-confirms-my-bloody-valentine-reunion|title=Shields Confirms My Bloody Valentine Reunion|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=7 November 2007|access-date=8 November 2007}}</ref> In June 2008, My Bloody Valentine played two live rehearsals at the [[Institute of Contemporary Arts]] in London, their first public performances in 16 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/gigs/36875/reviews/3481110-my-bloody-valentine-at-ica-london-fri-13-jun |title=Review / My Bloody Valentine @ ICA, London, 13/06/08 / Gigs |work=[[Drowned in Sound]] |publisher=Silentway |last=Denney |first=Alex |date=16 June 2008 |access-date=10 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110082604/http://drownedinsound.com/gigs/36875/reviews/3481110-my-bloody-valentine-at-ica-london-fri-13-jun |archive-date=10 November 2013 }}</ref> They began an extensive worldwide tour in summer 2008 (their first since their 1992 tour in support of ''Loveless'') including appearances at [[Øyafestivalen]] in Oslo, Norway, [[Electric Picnic]] in [[Stradbally]], Ireland, and the [[Fuji Rock Festival]] in [[Niigata Prefecture|Niigata]], Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nrk.no/lydverket/shoegazer-comeback-pa-%C3%98ya|title=Shoegazer-comeback på Øya|trans-title=Shoegazer-Comeback on the Island|publisher=[[NRK]]|language=no|date=31 January 2008|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2008/02/13/my-bloody-valentine-playing-electric-picnic|title=My Bloody Valentine playing Electric Picnic &#124; On the Record|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|last=Carroll|first=Jim|author-link=Jim Carroll (journalist)|date=13 February 2008|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smash-uk.com/frf13/history_08.html|title=Fuji Rock: History – 2008|work=[[Fuji Rock Festival]]|publisher=[[Smash (music promoters)|Smash Corporation]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> The band reportedly spent £200,000&nbsp;on equipment for their world tour.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/arts/music/23bloo.html?ei=5070&_r=0|title=Music – My Bloody Valentine: Reunited, Rediscovers the Love – Review|work=[[The New York Times]]|last=Pareles|first=Jon|date=22 September 2008|access-date=7 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/my-bloody-valentine/32541|title=My Bloody Valentine to play first shows in 16 years &#124; News|work=[[NME]]|date=15 November 2007|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

In October 2011, Shields launched the independent record label Pickpocket together with Le Volume Courbe frontwoman [[Charlotte Marionneau]], and considered releasing a collaborative "ten minutes of noise" single on the imprint.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/my-bloody-valentine/60086|title=My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields launches record label, hints at new material &#124; News|work=[[NME]]|date=29 October 2011|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> In May 2012 remastered versions of ''Isn't Anything'' and ''Loveless''<ref name="nme">{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/my-bloody-valentine/62779|title=My Bloody Valentine to release new compilation album 'EP's 1988–1991' &#124; News|work=[[NME]]|date=22 March 2012|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> were released as well as the ''[[EP's 1988–1991]]'' collection, which featured the band's Shields-remastered [[Creation Records]] extended plays, singles and unreleased tracks.

In November, Shields announced plans to release My Bloody Valentine's third album online before the end of the year,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/my-bloody-valentine/67046|title=My Bloody Valentine announce Loveless follow-up and Tokyo Rocks appearance &#124; News|work=[[NME]]|date=7 November 2012|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> before announcing during a warm-up show at [[The Fridge (nightclub)|Electric Brixton]] in London on 27 January 2013 that the album "might be out in two or three days."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1244712/my-bloody-valentine-new-album-could-be-released-in-two-or-three-days-hear-new-mbv-song/video|title=My Bloody Valentine New Album Could Be Released In "Two Or Three Days"; Hear New MBV Song|work=[[Stereogum]]|last=Nelson|first=Michael|date=27 January 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> The ''[[MBV (album)|m b v]]'' album was eventually released through the band's official website on 2 February 2013, crashing the site on its launch due to high traffic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/my-bloody-valentine/68505|title=My Bloody Valentine's website crashes after midnight launch of new album|work=[[NME]]|date=2 February 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> According to [[Metacritic]], ''m b v'' received "universal acclaim",<ref name="mc">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/m-b-v/my-bloody-valentine|title=M B V Reviews, Ratings, Credits and More|work=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> and the band began a worldwide tour upon its release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2013/04/25/my-bloody-valentine-add-dates-to-world-tour|title=My Bloody Valentine add dates to world tour|work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|publisher=Vinyl Factory Group|date=25 April 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

Shields has since announced intentions to release remastered analogue cuts of My Bloody Valentine's back catalogue followed by two releases of new material that were most recently expected to release in 2019.<ref>Schatz, Lake (11&nbsp;October 2018). "[https://consequence.net/2018/10/my-bloody-valentine-two-new-albums-brian-eno-collab/ Kevin Shields says My Bloody Valentine will release two new albums, debuts Brian Eno collaboration “The Weight of History”: Stream]". [[Consequence of Sound]]. consequence.net. Retrieved 11&nbsp;October 2018.</ref>

In April 2018, Shields released ''[[The Weight Of History / Only Once Away My Son]]'', a collaborative [[A-side and B-side#Double A-side|double A-side]] with [[Brian Eno]], for [[Record Store Day]].<ref name="eno-shields">{{cite web|last1=Day|first1=Record Store|title=Brian Eno with Kevin Shields - Record Store Day|url=https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2018/brian-eno-with-kevin-shields/|website=recordstoreday.co.uk|access-date=2 May 2018|language=en|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804085430/https://recordstoreday.co.uk/releases/rsd-2018/brian-eno-with-kevin-shields/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In June 2023, he released the Fender Shields Blender, which he co-developed with [[Fender (company)|Fender]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-13 |title=My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields Announces Signature Guitar Pedal by Fender |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/my-bloody-valentine-kevin-shields-announces-signature-guitar-pedal-by-fender/ |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Artistry==

===Influences===
Shields has referred to [[The Beatles]] and the [[Ramones]] as his favourite bands of all time.<ref name="p4k2013" /> Upon moving to Ireland in 1973, he became a fan of "the energy, [[androgyny]] and otherworldy production style" of [[glam rock]] and has said [[Johnny Ramone]] inspired him to begin playing guitar.{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=22}}<ref name="sf" /> Speaking about Ramone, Shields said "I realised [Johnny] wasn't playing guitar—he was generating the sound&nbsp;... it was just a noise generator."{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=22}} He later remarked seeing the Ramones perform in a [[Northside, Dublin|North Dublin]] cinema "changed his life". Other guitarists he admired were [[Public Image Ltd]] guitarist [[Keith Levene]] and [[Killing Joke]] guitarist [[Geordie Walker]].<ref name="gdn2">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/03/my-bloody-valentine-kevin-shields-interview|title=My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields: I play through the pain &#124; Music|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Deevoy|first=Adam|date=3 October 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> Some of his earlier influences included local Dublin punk band DC Nien, [[The Birthday Party (band)|The Birthday Party]], [[The Cramps]] and [[Einstürzende Neubauten]].<ref name="amag" /><ref name="murphy" /> In the mid-to-late 1980s, he was influenced by [[The Byrds]], [[Hüsker Dü]], [[Dinosaur Jr]] and [[Sonic Youth]]—particularly two of the band's albums: ''[[Evol (Sonic Youth album)|EVOL]]'' (1986) and ''[[Sister (Sonic Youth album)|Sister]]'' (1987).<ref name="bh" /><ref name="outtakes">{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/08745-kevin-shields-interview-mbv-my-bloody-valentine|title=Features &#124; A Quietus Interview &#124; "Not Doing Things Is Soul Destroying" – Kevin Shields|work=[[The Quietus]]|last=Parkes|first=Taylor|date=10 May 2012|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> He was also influenced by [[hip hop music]], in particular [[Public Enemy (group)|Public Enemy]], whose track "Security in the First World" Shields sampled on the 1988&nbsp;My Bloody Valentine track "[[Instrumental (My Bloody Valentine song)|Instrumental No 2]]".<ref name="amag" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.ie/album-reviews/my-bloody-valentine-isnt-anything-loveless-eps-1988-1991|title=My Bloody Valentine – Isn't Anything / Loveless / EPs 1988–1991|publisher=[[State (magazine)|State]]|last=Harrison|first=Daniel|date=8 May 2012|access-date=10 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110030956/http://www.state.ie/album-reviews/my-bloody-valentine-isnt-anything-loveless-eps-1988-1991|archive-date=10 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Later Shields has cited [[The Beach Boys]] as an influence and expressed admiration for modern artists like [[Tame Impala]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/my-bloody-valentine/64118|title=Kevin Shields: The new My Bloody Valentine album was influenced by The Beach Boys &#124; News|work=[[NME]]|date=2 June 2012|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/38-kevin-shields-outtakes|title=Kevin Shields Interview Outtakes &#124; The Pitch|work=[[Pitchfork Media]]|last=Dombal|first=Ryan|date=12 August 2013|access-date=10 November 2013|archive-date=18 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131118034423/http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/38-kevin-shields-outtakes/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Shields' production techniques were influenced by a range of producers and artists.<ref name="sf" /> He has stated a dislike for the "wet and&nbsp;... liquid" production values of 1980s music and [[shoegaze]] artists; he instead favours the "dry&nbsp;... and upfront" sound used by Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth.<ref name="sf" /> He said that the use of stereo in the 1980s was part of a "weak, corporate sound". Shields records and produces largely in [[Monophonic sound|mono]],{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=49–50}} an approach influenced by [[Brian Wilson]]{{'}}s production on The Beach Boys' ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' (1966) and veteran pop producer [[Phil Spector]]. He has also expressed admiration for producer [[Joe Meek]] and the French [[Electronic music|electronic]] duo [[Daft Punk]].<ref name="sf" /><ref name="p4k2013" />

===Guitar sound===
Shields' guitar sound has been cited as one of the most recognisable aspects of My Bloody Valentine's music. His sound uses "texture more than technique to create vivid soundscapes".{{sfn|DiPerna|1992|p=26}} He has been listed at number 95&nbsp;and 2&nbsp;on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s and ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''{{'}}s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list.<ref name="rollings" /><ref name="spin" /> During the late 1980s, Shields began customising the [[Vibrato systems for guitar|tremolo systems]] for his [[Fender Jaguar]]s and [[Fender Jazzmaster|Jazzmaster]] guitars; he extended the tremolo arm and loosened it considerably, to allow him to manipulate the arm while strumming chords, which resulted in significant [[Portamento|pitch bending]].{{sfn|DiPerna|1992|p=26}} Shields used a number of [[Scordatura|alternate]] and [[Guitar tunings#Open|open tuning]]s that, together with his tremolo manipulation, achieved "a strange warping effect that makes the music wander in and out of focus" according to ''Rolling Stone''{{'s}} [[Michael Azerrad]].<ref name="atlast" /><ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Azerrad|first1=Michael|author-link=Michael Azerrad|year=1992|title=The Sound of the Future: My Bloody Valentine|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|issue=6 February 1992}}</ref>

Among Shields' notable effects is digital reverse [[Reverberation|reverb]], sourced from a [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] SPX90&nbsp;effects unit. Together with the tremolo manipulation and [[Distortion#Audio distortion|distortion]], he created a technique known as "[[glide guitar]]".{{sfn|DiPerna|1992|p=152}} Shields' effects rig, which is composed largely of distortion, [[Equalization (audio)#Graphic equalizer|graphic equaliser]]s and tone controls, consists of at least 30 effects pedals,<ref name="nytimes" /> although on most songs he only has two to four activated when playing live.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Guitar World|issue=25 July 2023|access-date=8 April 2024|title="That otherworldliness comes from very tight rhythm playing": Kevin Shields on hiding music inside his new Fender pedal, his Jazzmaster setup secrets and what guitarists overlook about his technique|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kevin-shields-my-bloody-valentine-fender-shields-bender}}</ref> His rig is connected to a large number of amplifiers which are often set to maximum volume to increase sustain.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Double|first1=Steve|title=Kevin Shields, My Bloody Valentine Interview|year=1992|magazine=[[NME]]|issue=9 November 1992|page=14}}</ref> During live performances with My Bloody Valentine – particularly during the closing number "You Made Me Realise" – Shields creates a blend of white noise, which often lasts for half an hour and can reach 130[[Decibel|db]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7132-my-bloody-valentine|title=Articles: My Bloody Valentine &#124; Features|work=[[Pitchfork Media]]|last=Ewing|first=Tom|date=23 June 2008|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> "It was so loud it was like sensory deprivation," he remarked. "We just liked the fact that we could see a change in the audience at a certain point."<ref name="gdn" />

===Legacy===
Shields' sound and performance have been regarded as influential, with musicians including [[Billy Corgan]],<ref>{{cite AV media|people=[[Billy Corgan|Corgan, Billy]]|year=2011|title=Smashing Pumpkins Webisode No. 1 – Daydream|medium=Online|time=00:16–02:12}}</ref> [[J Mascis]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/list/50-greatest-guitar-solos/255704/article/255928|title=50 Greatest Guitar Solos &#124; No. 42 Dinosaur Jr – Get Me|work=[[NME]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> and [[Greg Puciato]]<ref>{{cite web|access-date=17 October 2020|title= A Match Thrown On A Gasoline Field: Greg Puciato On Trauma, Dillinger And The Black Queen|url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/a-match-thrown-on-a-gasoline-field-greg-puciato-on-trauma-dillinger-and-the-black-queen|date=28 September 2018|first=Kiran|last=Acharya|website=[[Kerrang!]]|location=United Kingdom|url-status=live|archive-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928233900/https://www.kerrang.com/features/a-match-thrown-on-a-gasoline-field-greg-puciato-on-trauma-dillinger-and-the-black-queen/}}</ref> citing him as an influence; the last revealed that his most desired collaboration would be with Shields.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=17 October 2020|url=https://www.11plus3.de/the-black-queen/|title=Greg Puciato of The Black Queen|website=11plus3.de|publisher=Digital in Berlin|url-status=live|archive-date=23 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023133408/https://www.11plus3.de/the-black-queen/}}</ref>

"Kevin Shields achieved something on ''Loveless'' that only the great guitarists achieve: he achieved a wholeness and a unity," observed [[Living Colour]]'s [[Vernon Reid]]. "He created his own sound."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Henry|last=Yates|title=Every home should have one|magazine=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] #94|date=July 2006|page=27}}</ref>

==Personal life==
===Health===
Shields has mild [[dyslexia]], "mild to extreme" [[tinnitus]], and [[tendonitis]] in his left hand.<ref name="gdn2" /><ref>{{cite magazine|last=DiPerna|first=Alan|year=1993|title=Speak Softly|magazine=[[Guitar World]]|issue=April 1993}}</ref> He contracted tinnitus during the mixing of ''[[Loveless (My Bloody Valentine album)|Loveless]]'' in 1991.<ref name="outtakes" /> Though initially worried about the condition, Shields has said he has "come to treat the tinnitus as a friend. It filters unwanted sounds and actually protects my ears. It becomes your first line of defence against audible stress."<ref name="gdn2" /> He said his tendonitis, which he has had since 1988, is relieved "once you start to immerse yourself in the sound, any discomfort just disappears."

===Views on music industry===

{{quote box|width=30em|The corporate system [in the music industry] is fully psychopathic, and any creative people who enter into business with any of these organisations come up against a lifetime of issues. You just deal with it as you go along. It'll keep on happening until people reorganise the organisations.
|source=— Shields<ref name="p4k2012">{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8809-kevin-shields|title=Interviews: Kevin Shields &#124; Features|work=[[Pitchfork Media]]|last=Dombal|first=Ryan|date=30 April 2012|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>}}
Shields has been outspoken about the corporate influence in the music industry. He has said that [[Sony Music Entertainment]], upon inheriting My Bloody Valentine from Creation Records, deliberately hid the master tapes of the band's original recordings in an attempt to delay the release of ''[[EP's 1988–1991]]'' (2012).<ref name="p4k2012" /> Shields threatened to involve [[Scotland Yard]] in the dispute and then said the tapes "magically, suddenly reappear[ed]." He has since called for reorganisation of the record industry, which he has referred to as "[[Psychopathy|psychopathic]]".<ref name="p4k2012" /> As a result, My Bloody Valentine's third album, ''[[MBV (album)|m b v]]'' (2013), was self-released. Reflecting on his decision, Shields said it was "great to release the record without any industry interaction at all, but it also meant that it was a bit too expensive to buy, so we're going to try to make it cheaper by working with various record companies in the future," though ruling out agreements with major labels.<ref name="p4k2012" /> In 2013, following the release of ''m b v'', he accused the organisers of the [[Mercury Prize]] of "banning" the album for the nominated shortlist. In an interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'', Shields said My Bloody Valentine were "banned by [the Mercury Prize]" due to not having a major digital distribution deal in the United Kingdom. He added "because we're not on [[Amazon.com|Amazon]] or [[iTunes]]&nbsp;...it's not a real record. Our album's not a real album because it's independent. The corporateness has got to such a point where we've essentially been told that we don't exist."<ref name="gdn3">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/13/my-bloody-valentine-slams-mercury-prize|title=My Bloody Valentine frontman slams Mercury prize list &#124; Music|work=[[The Guardian]]|last1=Deevoy|last2=Michaels|first1=Adam|first2=Sean|date=13 September 2013|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

===Relationships and family===

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Shields and [[Bilinda Butcher]] were in a relationship.{{sfn|McGonial|2007|p=92}} His brother [[Jimi Shields|Jimi]] was a founding member and drummer of the [[indie rock]] band [[Rollerskate Skinny]], who has since formed [[Wounded Knees]] and become co-director of TTT (thirtythreetrees), a Dublin landscape design practice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whelanslive.com/index.php/j-mascis|title=Blog Archive " J Mascis + Jimi Shields|date=14 February 2011 |publisher=[[Whelan's (music venue)|Whelan's]]|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> His sister Ann Marie has worked extensively in the music industry and has managed tours for both My Bloody Valentine and Rollerskate Skinny, as well as being credited for coordination on ''Loveless''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music4movies.org/ann_marie_shields.html|title=Ann Marie Shields – Short Biography|publisher=Music4Movies|access-date=10 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110014151/http://music4movies.org/ann_marie_shields.html|archive-date=10 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> His youngest sister, [[Eileen Shields|Eileen]], is a shoe designer who has designed for [[Bono]], [[Drew Barrymore]] and [[PJ Harvey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/2008/0307/shoes561.html|title=The Afternoon Show – Scintillating Shoes with Eileen Shields|work=[[RTÉ One]]|publisher=[[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]]|date=7 March 2008|access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Kevin Shields discography|My Bloody Valentine discography}}

;Kevin Shields
*''[[The Coral Sea (album)|The Coral Sea]]'' <small>(with [[Patti Smith]])</small> (2008)

;My Bloody Valentine
*''[[Isn't Anything]]'' (1988)
*''[[Loveless (My Bloody Valentine album)|Loveless]]'' (1991)
*''[[MBV (album)|m b v]]'' (2013)

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite magazine|last=DiPerna|first=Alan|year=1992|title=Bloody Guy|magazine=[[Guitar World]]|issue=March 1992}}
*{{cite book|last1=McGonial|first1=Mike|title=Loveless|series=[[33⅓]]|year=2007|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]] |location=New York City|isbn=978-0-8264-1548-6}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kevin Shields}}

*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=kevin-shields-mn0000085275|label=Kevin Shields}}
*{{IMDb name|1331774|Kevin Shields}}
*[http://thequietus.com/articles/08745-kevin-shields-interview-mbv-my-bloody-valentine Kevin Shields featured interview] at ''[[The Quietus]]''

{{Portal bar|Rock music|Ireland|New York City|Record production}}
{{My Bloody Valentine}}
{{Primal Scream}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shields, Kevin}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
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[[Category:Alternative rock bass guitarists]]
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[[Category:21st-century Irish male singers]]